Several years ago, we were the victims of a home burglary. It was an experience that rocked us to our core. We were scared. We felt violated and uneasy. After our initial shock wore off, we realized that we were vulnerable, and we let our guard down. But we knew we had to move forward. Nearly all who have been through a burglary will take extra steps going forward to prevent the same thing from happening again. Here are a few of the steps we took to keep our family safe within our home.

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There’s no greater deterrent for a burglar than seeing a security system installed outside a home. It doesn’t matter if this is CCTV camera-based or the traditional alarm. If you have something that flashes a little red light fixed to your dwelling, nearly every criminal will avoid your home. Many alarms are so advanced that they link straight through to the local police station, and at the very least they will inform you of any suspicious activity immediately.

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Locks

It’s vital that you have the most Secure locks fitted on your doors and windows. Many people forget that windows are one of the easiest ways for an intruder to enter your home. It's how our home invasion occurred. The burglar came through an open window in our living room. There is no need for them to break glass creating a disturbance and they can slip in and out of your dwelling without making a sound. Double locks with chains are effective for doors as they are hard to pick and break through.

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Doors

Try to avoid heavily glazed UPVC doors as these are the easiest for a potential burglar to break through. If they are simply after the keys to your car, they can smash the glass, pick up the keys and drive away with your vehicle in seconds. Instead opt for a more expensive, yet infinitely more secure composite door with minimal glazing. These tough and resilient doors are nigh on impossible to break through and are doubly secure with industry standard locks.

Don’t Tempt A Burglar

The chances are that one of the windows to one of your rooms will face the street. This is usually your kitchen or living room. It’s important that you don’t leave anything of value out on countertops, window sills or within eyesight. Car keys, smartphones and tablets are very easy to snatch and attract burglars like bright lights attract moths. Keep keys hidden away in drawers and consider installing window shutters or frosted glazing to add a little more privacy to your home.

As a responsible parent, you want to keep your family as safe as possible both inside and

outside the home. Your humble abode should be a happy haven where the whole family feels secure and protected. By being proactive and deterring burglars and intruders in every way possible, you won’t have to endure the devastating impact of having your home broken into.